Two-tone hat and method of making same



r c. R. HAVENS ET AL 2,844,823

TWO-TONE HAT AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME July 29, 1958 Filed Aug. 19, 1957 BURLAF BLOCKING STRIP DARK CO OR 5 H Wm A P. M 5A w Z MGM United States Patent TWO-TONE HAT AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Charles R. Havens, Norwalk, and Gerry A. Magrath, East lflorwalk, Conn., assignors to Hat Corporation of America, Norwalk, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Application August 19, 1957, Serial No. 678,764

4 Claims. (Cl. 2194) The present invention relates to a novel hat construction and to the method of making the same.

it is an object of the present invention to provide a unique two-tone felt hat construction of carroted fur fibers, the hat having an integral brim portion and crown portion with the brim being of a different shade from the color of the crown portion of the hat and producing a desirable and attractive appearance.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel method of making a two-tone hat which is economical and which produces a strong and satisfactory hat construc tion.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the specification and claims when considered in connection with the drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a former with the forming cone in position.

Fig. 2 shows an enlarged sectional view of the forming cone in the first stage of making the hat.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the second stage of making the hat.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the bat at the joint between the brim and crown portions showing the layers in position.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the hat body after it has been felted.

Fig. 6 shows the hat body before it is shaped.

Fig. 7 shows the completed hat.

In accordance with the present invention a hat 10 is formed of carroted fur fibers which are felted to produce an integral hat body having the crown portion 11 thereof of one color and the brim portion 12 of a different shade contrasting with the color of the crown. In the herein illustrated form of the invention the crown portion 11 is illustrated as being of a light shade while the brim portion 12 is of a darker shade. It is to be understood, however, that the location of the colors or shades can be varied and the crown be made of a dark shade and the brim of a light shade of the color as desired.

As shown in Fig. 7, the line 13 of demarcation between the shades is located on the crown adjacent the brim. Theoretically it should be located precisely at the joint of the crown and brim. However, to avoid difiiculties in manufacture which would require a precise location of the line and great care in the working of each hat body, the present invention permits the line of demarcation to be located on the crown adjacent the brim so that it is covered by the usual hat band 14 which is sewn on the exterior of the hat to surround the crown and overlie the line of demarcation.

The novel hat of the present invention may be made by several ways. While we have made hats of this type by depositing a light color fur on the part of the cone forming the crown portion and thereafter making a second deposit of a dark color fur on the portion of the cone forming the brim portion and then joining the two together in a felting operation, the present preferred form of the invention has many advantages and comprises blocking off the bottom of the perforations in the bottom of the perforated forming cone 15, which would normally form the brim portion of the hat, with a blocking element such as a burlap blocking strip 16. The cone 15 is then inserted in a former 17, as shown in Fig. 1, having a suction means 17a below the cone and a light coating of carroted fur is fed from an overhead supply 18 and is sucked down and deposited thereon to form a thin layer 19 over the remainder of the cone. While this fur can be dyed a light color, in the illustrated form of the inven tion the light color fur is preferably white fur. After the thin layer 19 of white fur has been deposited on the cone, the burlap blocking strip 16 is removed and a second layer 20 of darker fur, which may be formed from dyed dark fur or from a blend of dyed fur fibers and natural fibers which produce a dark mixture, is then deposited to cover the first layer and the entire cone as shown in Fig. 3. This produces a thick deposit 20a over the part of the cone forming the brim portion of the hat and a thinner layer 20b of dark fur over the layer of white fur. The relation of the layers at the joint between the crown and brim portions is shown in the fragmentary view of Fig. 4.

The bat is then removed from the cone and is hardened and felted in the usual manner. During the felting operation the white fur fibers migrate into the dark fur fibers extending over the crown portion of the hat, as shown in Fig. 5, and produce a blend therewith which lightens the effective color of the darker fur over the crown portion of the hat, as shown in Fig. 6, and thus produces a lighter shade of the color, resulting in the two-tone effect.

The two-tone hat body, as shown in Fig. 6, is then blocked and shaped into the hat of Fig. 7, after which it is trimmed by having the band 14 and other finishings applied thereto.

It will be readily apparent that by utilizing the above process by applying the different color furs in different sequence, a large variety of color combinations can be made. For example, if a dark crown and a lighter brim are desired, the dark fur can be applied in a thin layer to the crown portion of the cone and the lighter fur deposited in the second operation. Also, it is within the purview of the method to provide the blocking means over the crown portion of the cone and deposit a light coating on the brim portion and thereafter deposit the darker fur over the entire crown portion and brim portion which when felted will produce the dark crown and light brim.

As is shown in Fig. 5, the preferred process produces a body of uniform thickness at the line of demarcation and produces a strong unitary structure in the hat.

In the foregoing description the terms thin layer and heavier layer have been employed.

In order to give a better understanding of this method a concrete example follows: The cone which is 27 high has the perforations in the bottom 8" blocked off by the burlap shield. One-half ounce of white fur is then deposited on the crown portion of the cone. After the burlap shield is removed, 2 /8 ounces of dark fur, which may be any dyed fur or a mixture of fur (a blend of dyed and natural fur) is then applied to the cone producing the body.

From this example it will be seen that only a small quantity of light color fur is employed. Of course, if a lesser shade variation is required, smaller amounts of light color fur can be employed.

The hat formed by the preferred method provides a strong joint between the brim and crown portions which is of uniform thickness and the formation of the hat does not add any substantial increase in cost to the making of the hat body since only one additional operation is required-namely, the applying and removing of the blocking strip during the fur depositing operation. Further, the preferred method is less complicated and more uniform than when it is attempted to dip dye the hat body in an effort to produce the two-tone efiect.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

We claim:

1'. A two-tone fur felt hat having an integral crown portion and brim portion of substantially uniform thickness, the entire brim portion being of feltable fur fibers forming one color and the crown portion being of a blend of feltable fur fibers at least one of which is different in color from the fur in said brim portion to form a crown portion of contrasting color to said brim portion.

2. A two-tone fur felt hat having an integral crown portion and brim portion of substantially uniform thickness, one of said portions comprised substantially entirely of dark colored feltable fur fibers and the other portion comprised of said dark colored fur fibers and light colored feltable fur fibers intermingled therein and blending throughout said portion to form a lighter shade of said dark color.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein the line of demarcation between the portion of dark color and the portion of the lighter shade of said dark color is located in the crown portion adjacent the brim portion, and a hat band surrounding the crown portion and overlying and concealing said line of demarcation.

4. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said light colored feltable fur fibers comprises white fur.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Rickus et al June 22, 1943 

